When the World Turns Red (Crossover between the Red and Acceptance Series)

Chapter 7- Cooper

I watched while Ry led Vulcan away and into the forcefield that Percy had set up for them. My heart ached because I knew how hard this was for both of them. I knew that they were close with each other and knew that this would be painful if she lost her Protector to a world that we didn't understand.

"So... what is happening?" Thomas asked, furrowing his brows. He looked in the direction that my mate had gone with the Vampire King before he looked at me. "Or do you even know?"

I set my jaw and scowled, not looking at him. It took all of my self-control not to punch him in the face. "I do know what is going on, but I don't think it's right for me to say what's going on."

"You can tell them," Ry said from behind the forcefield. Her voice muffled, and there was a slight bit of pain in her voice. "It's nothing that bad, but I do need to focus on this asshole."

Vulcan hissed in warning, and Ry snorted and muttered something that I couldn't understand. He didn't say a word, and I had this feeling that this would take a while.

I sighed and shook my head. "Vulcan is one of Ry's Protectors. He is the one that had known the longest that he was one of them."

"How many protectors does she have?" Sam asked.

"Six," I replied. I moved a hand through my hair and sighed. "She has six of them, and we're all here with her." I gestured towards the way that they had gone in. "To be honest, I think that her favorite protector is Vulcan."

"Yes, but he isn't the one that had given me a couple of children," Ry shot back. She cursed, and there was a loud thunk before Vulcan hissed in annoyance and pain. "I warned you not to do that again," she said. "We can't have you out of commission for long."

"Nu ai control asupra mea, Lup, (You have no control over me, Wolf,)" Vulcan said, and his voice was different than what I was used to. "Nu știu de ce încerci. (I don't know why you try.)"

"Is it me... or does his voice sound different?" Becca asked and walked over to me with Liam by her side. "It's... so scratchy and rough. There's no compassion in it."

"And it's not soft like normal," Liam agreed, "but I wonder if it's because he hasn't had blood from a Human or a Wolf in a while."

"It is," Ry confirmed. There were another thunk and a hiss of pain. "He'll be fine in a few after this takes effect."

"What takes effect?" Sam asked and looked in the direction that Ry had gone. "What did you do?"

"She had him mark her again so that her blood could be used to... "control" him," I said, and Sam looked at me. I stuffed my hands into my pockets. "It's not a mate bond if that's what you're wondering, nor does it count as her cheating on me."

"From what I've gathered, it's a way that Ry can control him and feel everything that he is feeling," Becca added, and I nodded in agreement. "Like Cooper has said, Ry has six Protectors, and we're all gathered. However, she is only marked by Vulcan besides Cooper."

"She is able to hide her pain and whatnot from all of us besides Vulcan because of the mark," Rhett said and walked over to us with Gigi. He placed his arm around her waist, and he had a grave look on his face. "I don't know how she did it, but I don't like it." He said that in a louder voice, earning a snicker from his little sister.

"Well, you can suck it up, Big Brother," she said. "I am not going to tell you how I figured out how to do it." There were another thunk and a growl of pain. "Goddess damn it, that hurt, you mother forker. You better be glad that I heal fast."

I growled protectively, hating that my mate was hurt and that I couldn't do anything to help her, but it was drowned out by a hiss of pain from Vulcan. Annoyance filled my body, and all I wanted to do was go over there and see what had happened to my mate.

"Ha!" Ry exclaimed, and pride filled her voice. "That is what you get, butthole. I warned you that that would happen if you did that."

"What'd he do this time?" Thaddie asked from where he was bugging his sister. He smirked and flicked some of her hair into her face.

"Nothing for you to worry about," Ry said. "Now, get away from your sister before I set your ass on fire."

Thaddie rolled his eyes and mocked her. He pulled at his sister's hair and then yelped when Ry set his ass on fire. "Rylan!" he exclaimed. "What was that for?"

"I told you that I would do it," Ry said, and she sounded smug. "Next time you will listen to me, you big doofus, and not mock me."

Thaddie huffed and rolled his eyes. He didn't say a word and sulked over to us. "If you're wondering who her protectors are, then it's Liam, Becca, Rhett, Gigi, Cooper, and Vulcan," he said. "A witch had set something up, so Ry moved to Liam's pack for a bit." He shrugged and grinned. "And she got to meet an amazing me, and she was able to get out of her shell more than she was able to at the pack she was born in."

There was a long pause, and both Sam and Thomas looked at each other after he said that. Their faces were blank, and I couldn't help but wonder what they were thinking.

Sam offered Thomas a sad smile. Sadness filled her eyes, and she grabbed his hand.

They shared a small moment with each other while everyone else stayed silent, waiting for something to happen.

Could they have been through the same thing as us?